Bypass packer



March 10, 1936. w WELLS r AL 2,033,564

BYPASS PACKER Filed Feb. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y PatentedMar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BYPASS PACKEB ApplicationFebruary 5, 1935, Serial No. 5,044

10 Claims.

Our invention relates to oil well packers and the objects of ourinvention are:

First.To provide a novel by-pass packer which may be designed for use incasing or 5 open hole and is particularly suitable for use in the largerwell bores.

Secnd.To provide a novel by-pass packer head which is provided with aby-passing or circulating valve of maximum area to facilitate 1 3running of the packer in heavy drilling fluid both into and out of thewell while minimizing the strain on the packing elements.

Third.-To provide a novel by-pass packer which incorporates acirculating valve of maximum area and a relief valve of minimum areawhereby the packer may be run rapidly both into and out of the wellthrough heavy drilling fluid yet is readily unseated even though thepressure difference above and below the packer :0 should reach severalthousand pounds.

Fourth.-To provide a by-pass packer which may be inseated with no moreeffort than that required to lift the tubing string thereby minimizingthe strain on the tubing string and draw 25 works even when runningpackers in large casing.

Fifthr-TO provide a packer of this character wherein the valve elementsthereof are positive in action and in no manner interfere with thenormal operation of the packer or tool used in 3:, conjunction with thepacker.

Sirth.To provide a packer which although incorporating both acirculating valve and a relief valve may be provided with a maximum sizebore or passage therethrough for the circulation 35 of fluid through thepacker.

Seventh.-To provide a. by-pass packer which by-passes the fluid betweenthe packing elements and the body of the packer so that the body of thepacker and the tubing string connected there- 43 with may be run dry.

Eighth.To provide a by-pass packer of this class which eliminates theneed of a sliding or other relative movement between the tubing stringand body of the packer, these parts being 43 capable of rigidconnection, thereby eliminating all packing glands or the like to sealthe body.

Ninth.To provide a packer which is particularly simple and economical ofconstruction proportional to its functions, which may be readily 0 andquickly installed, and which is particularly durable and efficient inits action.

With these and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter,attention is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

55 Figure 1 is an elevational view of a formation or rat hole packerincorporating our novel bypass means, showing the packer seated.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view thereof taken through 22 ofFigure 1 with the parts shown by solid lines in the positions assumed 5when the packer is seated, and the weight of the tubing string isapplied, and showing by dotted lines their positions when the valves areopened and the packer is hanging or suspending from. the tubing string.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the floating valve ring.

Figure 4 is a partially sectional partially eleva tional view of asleeve type formation packer incorporating our by-pass means.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a casing or hook wall packerincorporating our by-pass means, showing the casing packer in position.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view thereof through- 6-6of Figure 5 showing the parts by solid line in the positions assumedwhen the packer is unseated and suspended from the tubing string.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken through 1-'l ofFigure 6.

Attention is first directed to Figures 1 to 3.

Our packerhere illustrated is connected with a tubing string T through asub or coupling I, the upper portion or which is internally threaded toreceive thetubing string or an intermediate tool .30 such as a formationtester, and the lower end is similarly threaded to receive a packer bodymemher 2 in the form of a tube. The lower end of the coupling isprovided with a frusto-conical valve face la, the diameter of which isonly slightly greater than the packer body and need not be larger thanthe tubing string.

An annular shoulder 2a is provided around the packer body 2 a shortdistance below the coupling l. Between the shoulder 2a and face la ismounted a floating ring valve 3. Said valve is provided with a valveseat 3a at the upper end of its inner periphery which coacts with thevalve face la. The bore of the ring valve 3 is provided withlongitudinally extending slots 3b which are sufliciently deep at theirlower ends to provide passages from the top to the bottom of the ringvalve when the valve is supported on the shoulder In as shown by dottedlines in Figure 2.

A top collar 4 surrounds the ring valve 3. Above the valve the collar isconstricted as indicated by In and slidably fits the coupling l. Theunderside of the constricted portion forms an abutment lb which engagesthe upper side of the ring valve when the packer is suspended from thetubing string and movement of the ring valve is limited by the shoulder2a. The top collar clears the periphery of the ring valve and extendstherebelow where it is internally threaded to receive a sleeve 5. Saidsleeve is cylindrical and materially larger than the packer body toprovide a large passage, designated A, therebetween. The sleeve isprovided at its upper end with an internal valve seat 5a which isengaged by a valve face 30 formed around the outer periphery of the ringvalve at its under side.

At a point above th sleeve 5, the collar 4 is provided with a pluralityof relatively large apertures 40 which allow fluid to pass from abovethe packer into the passage A between the body member 2 and sleeve 5.

The sleeve receives a plurality of packing disks 6 formed of anysuitable material and which vary in diameter to form a tapered plugadapted to fit a seat provided at the top of a rat hole. The set ofdisks 6 is reinforced at its upper and lower extremities by plates 1 and8 respectively. The disks and plates are held in place on the sleeve bya bottom collar 9 which is adapted to screw on the lower end of thesleeve 5. Said bottom collar 9 includes a constricted portion 9a whichforms a sliding fit on the body member 2 and is provided with largeapertures 9b which permit fluid to flow from the passage A.

The lower end of the body member 2 is adapted to receive a suitableperforated plug P.

The valve face 30 and valve seat 5a together form a valve which controlspassage A and therefore functions as a by-passing or circulating valveto enable, when the packer is being raised and lowered, fluid to flowpast the packer, particularly when the clearance between the packer andthe well bore is at a minimum. This valve must necessarily be large indiameter; therefore, should the pressure below the packer, when the sameis seated, be materially less than the pressure of the drilling fluidabove the packer, the force required to lift the packer is apt to exceedthe safe load that can be applied to the tubing string and draw works.It is the function of valve face Ia and valve seat 3a to overcome thisdifficulty, these elements forming a relief valve the diameter of whichneed not be materially greater than the tubing string and in fact may besmaller if desired. This being the case, there can be little or nohydrostatic head applied to the relief valve which would be effective inholding it closed by reason of a lower pressure below the packer; hence,no more effort is required to open the relief valve than is required toraise the tubing string itself.

The foregoing conditions are very apt to exist when the packer is usedfor formation testing in which case the packer is run on a dry tubingstring together with a suitable testing tool mounted immediately aboveor below the packer. After the packer is seated and the formationthereby relieved of the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid, thetubing string is opened to atmospheric pressure. Should the formationpressure be low, the pressure difference above and below the packer mayreach several thousand pounds per square inch. With this in mind, theoperation of the packer is as follows:

When the packer is being lowered, both the circulation and relief valveare open and the packer is suspended indirectly from the tubing stringthrough the ring valve which rests on the shoulder 2a and in turnsupports the top collar by means of the abutment 4b. Even though thepacker is lowered through drilling mud, its weight is normallysufficient to maintain the circulation valve open against the upwardthrust of the fluid through which it is descending. All circulation doesnot, of course, take place through the passage A, but a large amount ofthe fluid passes around the outside of the packer.

Upon seating of the packer in the upper end of a rat-hole as shown inFig. 1, and the application of weight of the tubing string, the reliefand circulation valves are closed, as shown in Fig. 2. After thenecessary operations or tests are made, particularly should suchoperations or tests result in a lesser pressure below the packer thanexists by reason of the hydrostatic head above the packer, such ahydrostatic head tends to hold the packer seated and inasmuch as thishydrostatic pressure is applied against the top of the ring valvethrough ports 40, the ring valve is held against its seat 5a withconsiderable force because the area of the circulation valveincorporating the seat 5a is much larger than the tubing string.However, the relief valve formed by the confronting surfaces a and 3amay approximate the area of the tubing string and be in hydrostaticbalance; therefore, with the condition of a materially lower pressurebelow the packer, the first upward movement of the tubing string opensthe relief valve permitting equalizing of pressure through the reliefvalve. After the pressure becomes equalized, continued upward movementof the tubing string causes the shoulder 2a to engage the ring valve soas to open the circulation valve. In coming out of the well, the forceof the fluid through which the packer passes is downward and thereforein a direction to maintain the circulation valve open, therebyminimizing any possibility of swabbing. In connection with formationpackers, it is perhaps more essential that a maximum circulation bemaintained when coming out of the hole than when going in for the reasonthat undue swabbing can cause the well to blow out of control; whereas,in going in, the rate at which the fluid can pass automatically controlsthe speed of descent.

Reference is now directed to Fig. 4 which discloses a packer of theanchor formation type incorporating our by-pass arrangement.

With this adaption of our packer, the top collar 4 is provided with anoverhanging packing retaining bead 4d around its lower end and thesleeve 5 is elongated to receive one or more of sleeve-like packingelements In formed of rubber or other suitable material. If more thanone packing element H1 is used, they are separated by rings ll havingaxially directed lips or beads I la to retain the ends of the packingelements.

The lowermost packing element is retained by a bead l2a of a ring I2. Aband 522 is provided at the bottom of the sleeve 5. The ring I2 isexternally threaded to receive a shell l3 which flts over the band 51)and is in turn screwably connected to a bottom collar H similar to thecollar 9 and which is provided with apertures Ila therethrough.

The collar I4 is also threaded to receive an anchor I 5 which consistsof a length of tubing, perforated at its lower end, not shown, and whichengages the bottom of the well to force the shell l3 and ring l2upwardly and thereby compress the packing elements against theformation. The packer body is, as in the first described structure,provided with a perforated plug P the length of which is, of course,shorter than the anchor II. The operation of the relief and circulationvalves incorporated in this type 01 packer is similar to the firstdescribed structure. The packer itself however, operates in a differentmanner. When the anchor l5 engages the bottom of the well, furtherdownward movement after closing the relief and circulating valvescompresses the packing sleeves longitudinally causing them to expandradially against the formation as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4.The sleeve type packer while likewise suspended indirectly from thetubing string is considerably heavier than the rathole packer and,therefore, may be run into the well with greater speed.

Attention is now directed to Figs. 5 to 7, the casing packer here shownis provided with a central tubular body 25 around which are slidablymounted a plurality of expansion rings 22 having substantially fiatupper sides and conical lower sides, and between which are positionedannular expansible packing rings 2|. A downwardly tapering slipspreading cone 23 having a flat upper side similar to the expansionrings is provided below the lowermost expansion rings and its coactingpacking ring. The cone 23 and expansion rings 22 are spaced from thebody by means of lugs which define axially directed pas sages B. Tiebolts 26 extend between the cone and upper expansion ring in such amanner as to permit compression of the rings axially towards the conebut limit axial separation of the rings from the cone beyond apredetermined distance.

Below the cone 23 is mounted a slip assembly 24 including collars 24aslidable upon'the body 25 and connected by casing engaging springs 24?).Betweenthe collars24ais a suitable catch or latch means 240, such as asleeve with J-slots therein, adapted to coact with a pin or pins 25aprotruding from the body member 25. Turning of the body member, byreason of the frictional engagement of the springs 24b, enables thecatch means 24c to engage or disengage the pin- 25a. Above the collar24a are upstanding spring reins 24d which terminate in slips 24c havingserrated outer surfaces, and which are adapted to ride upon the cone 23.

The cone 23 is provided around its lower or smaller end with a catch rib23a undercut on its upper side to engage lugs 24 carried by the severalslips so as to limit upward movement of the cone when the slip assemblyis latched. The upper expansion ring is provided at its upper side witha seat 220. which in the larger sizes of packers is materially largerthan the tubing string upon which the packer'is customarily run. Thecasing packer so far described is more particularly set forth in PatentNo. 1,925,016 entitled, Packer for oil wells, issued to Walter T. Wells,one of the co-inventors herein, and, except in so far as the structurethereof coacts with the hereinafter described by-pass means, constitutesno part of the present invention.

The equivalent of the valve seat 22a disclosed in the above patent formsan element of a circulation valve which in the larger sizes of packersis materially larger than the tubing string on which such a packer isrun, with the result that difiiculty is sometimes experienced inunseating the packer whenever the hydrostatic pressure above materiallyexceeds the pressure below. As an example, this situation arises inconducting shoe tests for water shut-off to determine the eflicacy of acement job, for the packer is then run on a dry tubing string (as information testing), seated and the area below the packer opened to theatmosphere. If the cementing job is successful, the pressure below thepacker will remain substantially atmospheric, but it will be necessaryto raisethe packer with the tubing string sealed in order to determinethe success.

It is the purpose of our invention as illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 toequalize the pressure above and below the multiple ring casing packer asaccomplished with the formation packer described hereinbefore. A sub 3|is screwed on the packer body 25, said body being externally threaded toreceive the sub. Above the packer body, the sub. 3! is reduced indiameter forming a shoulder 3m and thereabove a shank portion 3lb. Theupper end of the shank portion is externally threaded to receive acoupling 32 which may be provided with suitable wickers 32a and issecured to the tubing string T in the conventional manner.

The lower end of the coupling 32 is provided with a valve face 32b.Slidably mounted on the shank portion 3 lb between the valve face 322)and the shoulder 31a is the constricted portion 33a of a ring valve 33.ed portion 33a. is provided with a valve seat 33b which coacts with thevalve face 32a. The bore of the ring valve 33 is provided with suitablepassages 33c communicating from the top to the bottom of the ring valve.The bottom portion of the ring valve overhangs the enlarged lower end ofthe sub 3| and is provided at its underside with a valve face 33d whichis adapted to coact with the valve seat 22a provided on the uppermostexpansion ring 22. Between its ends the outer periphery of the ringvalve 33 may be enlarged as indicated by 336 to protect the expansionrings and packer rings, and if desired may be provided with channels 33fto increase the available area for the flow of the well fluid as thepacker is raised or lowered.

Operation of the by-pass means in conjunction with the multiple ringpacker is as follows: The valve face 32b and coacting valve seat 33bform a relief valve while the valve face 33d and valve seat 22a form acirculating valve. It should be noted thatthe relief valve need not belarger than the tubing string T, hence the hydrostatic head above thepacker cannot influence the operation of the relief valve. When thepacker is lowered both the relief valve and the circulating valve areopen as shown in Figure 6 being held so by reason of the latchconnection of the slip assembly 24 with the packer body 25, theinterlocking arrangement of the slips 24c and cone 23, and the tie bolts26. Upon seating the packer, the valves are closed as shown in Figure 5.When the tubing string is raised subsequently, the relief valve opensfirst as described in connection with the rat-hole packer, permittingthe pressure to equalize so that the circulating valve may open and thepacker be withdrawn.

We claim:

1. In a packer: a packing structure, a body member therein, the bodymember and packing structure being capable of relative longitudinalmovement and defining a circulation passage therebetween externally ofthe body member; a relief valve element defining one side of saidcirculation passage and moveable with said body member; a circulationvalve element defining the opposite side of said passage and moveablewith said packing structure; said elements being moveable towards orfrom each other upon relative The upper end of said constrictmovement ofsaid body member and packing structure; and a floating ring valvedisposed between said elements incorporating relief and circulationvalve parts arranged to coact with said relief and circulation valveelements respectively.

2. In a packer: a packing structure, a body structure defining therewitha circulation passage therebetween for permitting circulation of fluidthrough the packer externally of and sealed from the interior of saidbody structure, a ring valve slidably mounted around said body structureand forming therewith a bypass passage communicating with saidcirculation passage; stops above and below said ring valve for limitingmovement of said ring valve with respect to said body structure; arelief valve means incorporating one of said stops and the portion ofsaid ring valve engageable therewith for controlling said bypasspassage, said ring valve engageable with said packing structure; and acirculating valve means incorporating the engaging portions of said ringvalve and packing structure.

3. In a packer, a packing structure, a body structure mounted thereinand spaced therefrom to form therewith a circulating pasage, a ringvalve slidably mounted around the body structure, said body structureand said packing structure engageable with opposite axial sides of saidring valve whereby the ring valve limits axial movement of the bodystructure with respect to the packing structure, a circulating valvemeans formed by the engaging portions of said ring valve and packingstructure, and a relief valve means formed by the engaging portions ofsaid ring valve and body structures, both of said valve meanscontrolling said circulation passage.

4. In a packer, an annular packing structure including a circulationvalve seat around its inner periphery, a tubular body structure mountedwithin said packing structure and defining therewith a circulationpassage, said body structure including an external relief valve seat;and a floating ring valve slidably mounted around said body structureand interposed between said valve seats and forming therewith duel valvemeans for controlling said circulation passage.

5. In a packer, a tubular body structure including means for connectionwith a tubing string, a section of reduced diameter defining an upperand a lower shoulder, the upper shoulder being a relief valve facehaving approximately the diameter of said tubing string; a ring memberslidably mounted between said shoulders and including a relief valveseat engageable with said relief valve face, and a circulation valveface of larger diameter than said relief valve face; and a packingstructure slidably mounted on said body structure forming therewith acirculating passage and including a circulating valve seat engagablewith said circulating valve face to control said passage.

6. In a packer; a packing means, a body means forming therewith acirculation passage, a ring means for controlling said passage, each ofsaid means being slidable with respect to the others, said ring meansengageable with the packing means and the body means to limit theirrelative sliding movement in one direction; a relief valve formed by theportions of said ring means and body means so engaging; and acirculation valve formed by the portions of said ring means and packingmeans so engaging.

7. In a packer; a packing means, a body means forming therewith acirculation passage, 2. ring means for controlling said passage, each ofsaid means being slidable with respect to the others, said ring meansengageable with the packing means and the body means to limit theirrelative sliding movement in one direction, a relief valve formed by theportions of said ring means and body means so engaging, a circulationvalve formed by the portions of said ring means and packing means soengaging, and other engaging portions between said ring means and saidbody means engageable subsequent to opening of said relief valve foropening said circulation valve.

8. In a packer: a body member; a sub connecting the body member with thetubing string, said sub having at its lower end a relief valve face of adiameter not exceeding the diameter of the tubing string; a packingstructure forming with the body member a circulating passage and havinga circulation valve seat of greater diameter than said tubing string;and a means interposed between said relief valve face and saidcirculation valve seat and including valve elements 00- acting with saidrelief valve face and circulating valve seat to form relief andcirculation valves respectively.

9. In a packer: a body member; a sub connecting the body member with thetubing string, said sub having at its lower end a relief valve face of adiameter not exceeding the diameterv of the tubing string; a packingstructure forming with the body member a circulating passage and havinga circulation valve seat of greater diameter than said tubing string; ameans interposed between said relief valve face and said circulationvalve seat and including valve elements coacting with said relief valveface and circulating valve seat to form relief and circulation valvesrespectively; and means for holding said circulating valves open duringdescent and ascent.

10. In a packer: a body member; a sub connecting the body member withthe tubing string, said sub having at its lower end a relief valve faceof a diameter not exceeding the diamter of the tubing string; a packingstructure forming with the body member a circulating passage and havinga circulation valve seat of greater diameter than said tubing string; ameans interposed between said relief valve face and said circulationvalve seat and including valve elements coacting with said relief valveface and circulating valve seat to form relief and circulation valvesrespectively; and a device engageable with said means upon opening ofsaid relief valve to open said circulating valve.

ELLLER R. SMITH. WALTER. T. WELLS.

